Quintessentially Isaan (Photos)

[parrot]

When you open the fridge door early in the morning....before you've had your first cuppa, and you see this:

[FrazeeDK]

don't know if this qualified as quintessentially Issan but it does show someone perceiving a need and filling it. This is down on Posri Road on your left going into town about 100 meters before the Charoen Hotel. While I've seen lots of rather fly by night laundromats with racks of 20 baht machines this is the first inside air conditioned laundromat with dryers and is open 24 hours a day.. They have a link on the store icon on the map but it doesn't show Udon yet.. Locsted here: https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/MAR ... 150w?hl=th

maru laundromat.jpg (21.22 KiB) Viewed 4837 times

[Doodoo]

Have the same setups in Khon Kaen by the university

Always busy

[parrot]

I've seen a number of these modernized laundermats pop up around town....although I don't think most are air conditioned. They do have modern machines in a variety of sizes.....up to 27kg at some locations.
Maru's seems to be countrywide....like 7-11's. You can check availability of machines on their website.
Their website: Using gas heat for drying clothes not only fast Temperatures above 60 degrees can also kill dust mites and help prevent pollen allergy.

[Brian Davis]

There's a good one in front of Lumpini, Mill Place.

[parrot]

I buy most of my grilled chicken at the kilo 16 vendor on the way to Nongwahsaw. Always fresh, not CP tender, not run-around-chicken tough, friendly lady. The vendor is just in front of the ancestral shrine at the 4 way intersection. If you pass by there, you might know that it's common practice to beep your horn as a sign of respect to the shrine.....much like many Thais will wai when they pass the statue circle near the university.
On occasion, someone who has asked a special favor at the shrine will pay their respects if their wish is granted. It might be something small like an animal statue, or flowers, or just a prayer. But when you win big, you pay back bigly. Today, 5 morlam dancers with a live band and a bank of speakers were putting on a show. I wanted to take some photos closer up, but the sound was so loud I was honestly afraid the sound would fry my hearing aids.
A few friends of ours over the years have hired morlam dancers as thanks for: "helping" their daughter graduate from a university in the UK; winning the lottery; operating a successful business; finding a foreigner husband.
When you look up Thai religions, you'll usually see that "85 to 95 percent of the population is Theravada Buddhist and 5 to 10 percent Muslim" (from wiki). For me, living in Isaan, most of the villagers I've known advertise as Buddhist, but in reality, they're more of the Satsana Phi, how Thais describe the belief system that worships spirits.

[parrot]

Not exactly a sommelier, but an Isaan version of one. Sorry for the photo....clipped it from TV

[Shado]

Not nam bplaa (น้ำปลา), but similar. My wife will drive across town to purchase her bplaa raa (ปลาร้า) because that particular shop makes "the best". I've often wondered just how sophisticated one's taste has to be in order to discern between poor, good, better and "the best" bplaa raa? It must be a very special level of expertise to tell one brew of decomposed fish from another.

[jackspratt]

If you have a spare moment, Shado, check out some of the (Western) craft beer review sites, or perhaps coffee/whiskey/wine sites.

"Sophisticated" taste wankery is universal, across many cultures.

[parrot]

There are certain things you might see in Thailand that you can be sure you won't see in your home country. My wife stopped at a roadside beauty shop declaring it was time to wash her hair. While I was sitting there, I noticed this fine lady splitting bamboo that she would later weave into a sticky rice basket. She's 89, 7 grown kids, 6 grandkids, no aches, no pains, no blood sugar/cholesterol issues, sleeps tight, and can sit on the ground with her legs folded under for hours at a time. Oh, and she enjoys her daily chew of betel nut and has the teeth to show for it.
She seemed to enjoy talking about her good fortunes in life.

[FrazeeDK]

7 grown kids and only six grandkids. Shows that the government clinic's handing out of contraceptives and the assertiveness of the women over the last 30 outght years caused some logical family planning... My 85 year old sister-in-law had 10 kids, 2 of whom died young. the eight that are still living range in age from 40 to 62. Out of those eight kids came a total of 10 grandchildren. Family size and family culture have changed markedly in the last 40-50 years.

[parrot]

7 grown kids and only six grandkids. Shows that the government clinic's handing out of contraceptives and the assertiveness of the women over the last 30 outght years caused some logical family planning... My 85 year old sister-in-law had 10 kids, 2 of whom died young. the eight that are still living range in age from 40 to 62. Out of those eight kids came a total of 10 grandchildren. Family size and family culture have changed markedly in the last 40-50 years.

When we first built our home here, we referred to the bak soi leading into our home as a baby factory. That's changed. Now most families there have at most two kids. We know a good many girls who have married and have none. The days of kids returning home from Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket for rice planting/harvesting are gone and returning with a bag of freshly harvested rice are gone. I think once you've worked in outside the farm, the idea of sinking your feet deep into a rice field under a hot sun is not appealing to the younger generation.

A fair number of China experts are predicting doom and gloom for the Chinese economy as the population ages. Despite a loosening of the one-child policy, few families seem to be taking up the government on allowing more children. The UN forecasts that China's population will decline from 1.426 billion this year to 1.313 billion by 2050 and below 800 million by 2100. Some say the government overcounted their latest census by 100,000,000

[parrot]

A few of my favorite "shoe" photos:
one outside the Makkaeng cataract eye clinic
one outside a temple off the ring road during morning prayers
one at a hillside school in Loei

I don't see any air jordans in the bunch.

Story time: In Panama, just after Noriega was flown out during Just Cause in 1989, my AF commander commented that he had to settle on buying his 10ish year old son an $80 pair of sneakers at the BX for Christmas instead of a $125 pair that he wanted.....all the stores in Panama City were looted and wiped clean.
A few weeks later, my commander said he was finally able to buy the sneakers that his son wanted......the $125 pair.
I'm reminded of that story every time I see a gathering of shoes outside an Isaan establishment.

[mak]

Shoes in queue.

[parrot]

Shoes in queue.

Classic Isaan!

[parrot]

My wife was watching Thai news this morning and mentioned the traffic heading north out of Bangkok.....as is the case every year this time. She said the news showed drivers stepping out of their car to 'shoot the rabbit' (ยิงกระต่าย) without even stepping to the side of the road.
So I asked her why do Thais say, 'shoot the rabbit'.......to which she said, "They can't say, "take a piss" on TV.
Definitely an Isaan thing.

[Drunk Monkey]

Shoot the rabbit is one ive heard many times .i was told by my next door neighbor .it also means to.take a piss quickly.. as when shooting at a rabbit you have to get the gun out n shoot quick.
I once had a Gf with a weak or small bladder n she used to shoot the rabbit regularly ... quite embarassing when in Tesco car park tho ..sorry no.photo

The 7 deadly days start today 2oth until 4th Jan .. expect northbound to be chocca block today and tomorrow .. Southbound same.2 3 n 4 Jan

Dm

[samster]

Not Issan but, in the spirit of a developing country.

I was sat behind a Thai chap in a Starbucks in BKK this AM and, couldn't help notice his reading matter which he was carefully highlighting portions of.

The article was entitled "diversity: women make progress in climbing through the ranks". Seems the much maligned Thai male is moving with the times.

[camps]

There are certain things you might see in Thailand that you can be sure you won't see in your home country. My wife stopped at a roadside beauty shop declaring it was time to wash her hair. While I was sitting there, I noticed this fine lady splitting bamboo that she would later weave into a sticky rice basket. She's 89, 7 grown kids, 6 grandkids, no aches, no pains, no blood sugar/cholesterol issues, sleeps tight, and can sit on the ground with her legs folded under for hours at a time. Oh, and she enjoys her daily chew of betel nut and has the teeth to show for it.
She seemed to enjoy talking about her good fortunes in life.

Hi Mr Parrot, What a great picture,(posted 21-12-22) normally she does not like her photo being taken ! It also happens to be my Mother-in Law,, We live accross the road 50mtrs away. Do you Still have it on file, i would like to get it framed in the village,.. you could also tell me where this Chicken Eatery place is at Kilo 18',been here 15 years, still cant find it !!.. Many Thanks Paul....sorry dont know how to attach the photo,!

[parrot]

Paul, if you message me with your email address, I'll be happy to send a better quality photo of the same to you. Just click on the 'Contact" line under my avatar to send a message.
I'm always intrigued with the way older Thais can plop down on the floor with their legs folded beneath them.....for long periods of time. She seemed to be a happy camper........very healthy as well.
I think you're referring to the Chicken place at kilo 16. As you're heading toward Nongwahsaw, it's the lady who has a red umbrella chicken BBQ stand a few meters past the kilo 16 4 way intersection. She usually sells out by 2PM.
https://www.google.com/maps/@17.3359017 ... 384!8i8192